Chapter Eleven
Sesshomaru opened his eyes. He was in his bed. He had asked Riko to make him sleep while the demon had still been supporting his head. He turned his head slowly. His neck was stiff and it hurt to move and he settled back onto the pillow.
"Try not to move too much. You're still healing."
Sesshomaru closed his eyes again. He could breathe just fine. His ribs and lungs had healed. "How long was I asleep?"
"About six hours."
"Has Inuyasha been back?"
"No, my Lord."
Sesshomaru swallowed and asked the question he really wanted the answer to. "What did you do with it?"
Riko lowered his knitting. "I buried it under the cherry tree in the south corner of the inner garden."
"That's a good place." Tears stung his eyes again. "Could you tell what it was?"
"No, my Lord. It was too soon to tell." Riko let his master slip into silence again. The room was quiet for a few minutes. When Sesshomaru's tears stopped, he broached a sensitive subject. "My Lord, you were about two weeks along. Are you certain of the time of your mating?"
Sesshomaru felt a small jolt of surprise. Two weeks? "No. I was damaged. I don't know how long I was unconscious."
"It would have been longer then you would have thought. As soon as your mating was complete, your body would have known if it had conceived and sent the majority of your energy to your womb if your injuries weren't life threatening."
"I suppose that makes sense."
"May I ask, my Lord? Do you know what provoked Lord Inuyasha's attack?"
Sesshomaru closed his eyes in shame. "Inuyasha asked about my past sexual experience."
"Ah. I suppose that would have made him angry. It's quite widely known that you have had many lovers."
"Don't repeat that to Inuyasha. Please."
"No, my Lord. It is not my place." Riko went back to his knitting. "Are you hungry?"
"No. Why are you in here?"
"I wanted to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't reinjure your neck."
"Why does my belly hurt?"
"That will take a bit longer to heal, I'm afraid. The miscarriage was a violent one. Your womb will heal slowly."
"I wish to be alone."
"Yes, my Lord." Riko left the room. He felt a sadness fill him as a howl of despair followed him down the hall.
